Five Times Awesome Saw Chuck's Awesomeness
by htbthomas
Summary: The more Devon learns about Chuck, the more, well, awesome he seems. Despite the title, not slash. *g* Devon/Ellie, Chuck/Sarah.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **_Five Times Awesome Saw Chuck's Awesomeness_, 1/5  
**Author:** **htbthomas**  
**Fandom:** _Chuck _  
**Characters/Pairing:** Devon (Captain Awesome)/Ellie, Chuck/Sarah  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 1,661 words  
**Spoilers:** Set after 2.22 "Chuck vs. The Ring"  
**Betas:** **saavikam77**, **ndnickerson**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this. Josh Schwartz does. And apparently Subway now, too. ;)

**Summary:** The more Devon learns about Chuck, the more, well, awesome he seems.

~o~o~o~o~o~

"Oh, my God, Ellie... that was _amazing_."

Ellie beamed at Sarah's praise. "You're so sweet, Sarah." she blushed as she stood to collect the plates.

"No, she's just telling the truth, hon," Devon said, getting up to give her a peck on the cheek. "It was awesome, as always."

Chuck leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile. "No one tops my sister's lasagna." He wiped at the corners of his mouth with a cloth napkin.

"Oh, _stop_," Ellie said, swiping at the top of Chuck's wavy head of hair as she headed for the kitchen. "It's just the recipe in the Betty Crocker Cookbook."

"I can't even do _that_," Sarah put in. "There's a reason you've never been over to my place for a home-cooked meal."

"Plus, you don't have a kitchen," Chuck teased.

Devon was glad Ellie had invited Chuck and Sarah over for dinner. It was nice to see the two of them relaxing and taking a night off... from whatever it was that spies did. Today was his and Ellie's one month wedding anniversary. Devon had booked a reservation at a swanky Italian restaurant, but Ellie had surprised him by suggesting a family get-together. _"Chuck saved our wedding,"_ she'd said. _"I think it's time I repay him for that." _

Of course, that wasn't exactly what Devon remembered from that day. He mostly remembered a lot of insanity set into motion by Chuck himself. Devon had never asked what exactly had caused the delay, or the mess left afterward. He knew it had something to do with Chuck's spy life -- and information was probably on a need-to-know basis.

But somehow, Ellie had gotten her dream wedding out of the deal in the end, so Devon was grateful. And he'd gotten a happy bride... which was all he wanted, anyway.

The sound of dishes clinking into the sink took him out of his reverie. He looked over the bar to see Ellie starting up the hot water. "Wait a minute, hon. You did the cooking, we men can do the cleaning."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Devon..."

"Of course we do." He started to walk into the kitchen, but stopped and turned to give Chuck a significant look. "C'mon, bro. Let the ladies chat."

"Oh!" Chuck said with a little jump, and stumbled up out of the chair. "Coming!" Sarah smiled fondly at his inelegance.

As Ellie passed by him with an affectionate squeeze, Devon wondered just how much of Chuck's behavior was an act. After all, Chuck had managed to keep everyone in the dark for two years. If Devon hadn't stumbled into John Casey's surveillance setup (he still felt pretty creeped out by what he had seen), Devon would _still_ be in the dark. Still, it was awesome that Chuck trusted him enough to tell him the truth.

And Chuck and Sarah... they acted like they were in love, like they were starting to get pretty serious... but were they really just partners? Was their relationship a cover for being out together at all hours? If it was, Devon couldn't believe how good an actor Ellie's little brother was. Those longing looks, the way his hand would linger on Sarah's bare arm... He would have sworn up and down that Chuck would die for Sarah, and not just in the line of duty, either.

But those questions could wait for another time. He didn't want Chuck to be distracted by what Devon knew and didn't know. Spies had enough to deal with, juggling double lives. "You wanna wash or dry, little bro?"

"I'll dry. I don't think I've got the upper body strength to get the baked-on mozzarella off the dish," he joked.

Devon laughed and dunked the glass casserole dish into the sudsy water. Before, he would have made an encouraging comment about how Chuck was too hard on himself. But now he figured Chuck was kidding -- spies had to keep in top shape for their missions.

All these thoughts about what spies did and didn't do were taking Devon's concentration again. What did he know about the life of a spy? Other than what he saw on TV or the movies, that was. And he'd bet that being a spy was as much like the way they portrayed it on TV as being a surgeon was like the way they showed it on _Grey's Anatomy_.

While the dish was soaking, Devon started on the wine glasses. "So how are things going these days, Chuck? Now that you're in your own place, we hardly get to see you."

Chuck glanced into the living room before he answered. The girls were laughing over something Sarah was saying, and were probably out of earshot. But it was hard to tell. "Oh, pretty good."

"Not great?" Devon handed Chuck a glass to dry.

"Eh..." Chuck shrugged and rubbed his towel over the glass.

"Can't talk about it, right?"

"Not really. But..." Chuck lowered his voice and put his back to the girls. "...I'm getting busier. You know, spy-wise."

Devon's eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

"Yeah..." He started to place the glass on the highest shelf with the others. "I sorta got... promoted."

"Promoted?" Devon said with a toothy smile. "That's awesome." He patted Chuck firmly on the shoulder with a wet, soapy hand.

Chuck flinched away to avoid getting wet just as he was setting the glass on the shelf -- the glass overbalanced, and tumbled toward the counter...

Chuck's hand shot out and caught it by the stem in mid-air. He set it back on the shelf with unusual grace.

Devon's mouth dropped open. Where did Chuck get reflexes like that?

Chuck didn't seem to notice anything odd. "Hey, watch it, buddy! I'm supposed to be _drying _the dishes, not getting a bath..." He shiver-shook like a dog.

"Uh... sorry," Devon finished lamely. He started to scrub the lasagna dish to cover his shock. "It's too bad you still have to work at the Buy More, though. I guess it's part of the... cover?"

"Yeah, I know how disappointed Ellie is... again..." Chuck shrugged sadly and started drying another glass.

"Yeah..." There was no need for Devon to say out loud how proud Ellie would be of Chuck if she knew the truth. Well, proud... and _terrified _for him... maybe it _was_ a good thing she didn't know.

Devon finished the lasagna dish and set it on the counter, away from Chuck. He began to turn toward the dinner table to get it cleared off completely, but a thought struck him. He _had _to see if the wine glass catch was a fluke or not. Ellie might be upset that Devon broke one of her casserole dishes, but he could easily replace it. Feigning clumsiness while Chuck was placing the next glass on the shelf, Devon swept his elbow across the countertop and the dish went flying...

Chuck was suddenly _there_, crouched on the floor with the dish in his hands.

"Whoa!" Devon exclaimed softly. "Good catch!"

Chuck blinked, seeming to realize only at that moment what he had done. "I, ah, I... I saw it start to fall just in time."

"You saved my _life_, dude. Ellie would have _killed_ me if I broke that..."

Chuck smiled wanly and looked toward the girls again. "Any time."

As Devon went out to the table to get the rest of the leftovers, he fought to keep his face calm. Chuck had some sort of... super spy powers! He'd never seen an actual human being move that fast before. Was this why the CIA recruited Chuck? Or was this something he'd learned to do in spy training? Devon was extremely impressed. He wondered how far it extended... did Chuck have some sort of sixth sense? He picked up a leftover dinner roll, and tossed it thoughtfully in his hand...

Then he spun and pitched it straight at Chuck's head.

It bounced off and landed on the kitchen island. "Hey!" Chuck cried out. He picked up the roll and turned toward Devon with a puzzled expression. "Did you do that... on _purpose_?"

Devon knew how weird his behavior must seem. He opened his mouth to make an excuse...

"What's going on over there, boys?" Ellie's voice was infused with her best 'responsible adult' tone. "Are you having a _food fight_?"

"Without us?" Sarah joked, but her attempt to lighten the situation was ignored.

Ellie's disapproving gaze settled on her brother. "_Chuck_..."

"_He_ started it," Chuck whined.

Ellie turned her wrath on Devon instead. "_Devon_..."

Sarah's cell phone went off just then, breaking the tension. Devon had never heard a more beautiful sound. "Excuse me," Sarah said, and stepped around the corner into the hall.

Devon put down the basket in his hands and came over to wrap his wife in a hug. "Just a little goofing off with my new little bro. Sorry, babe." He leaned into her hair and murmured softly, "I'd rather be goofing off with _you_, though."

Ellie giggled throatily and turned into his embrace. "Forgiven." She kissed him lightly, but her eyes held a promise of more that night.

Sarah appeared back in the room and shared a look with Chuck. His eyes darted back and forth between Ellie and Devon and his partner/girlfriend. "_Whoa_..." Chuck almost scrambled into the living room, his earlier grace gone. "I think that's our cue to go! You two lovebirds should celebrate this anniversary the_right_ way, that is, I mean, all _alone_..." He took Sarah by the hand and pulled her toward the door.

Sarah barely had time to grab her handbag. "Thanks so much for dinner! It was wonderful..." The door shut behind them with a loud click.

"What was...?" Ellie asked the closed door. Then she sighed. "Ladies and gentlemen, my brother."

"He did have an _awesome_ idea, though..." He pulled Ellie closer and nuzzled her neck. The rest of the clean up could wait.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **_Five Times Awesome Saw Chuck's Awesomeness_, 2/5  
**Author:** **htbthomas**  
**Fandom:** _Chuck_  
**Characters:** Devon (Captain Awesome), Buy More gang, Chuck  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 2,184 words  
**Spoilers:** Set after 2.22 "Chuck vs. The Ring"  
**Betas:** **ndnickerson**, **saavikam77**, **without_wings**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this. Josh Schwartz does. And apparently Subway now, too. ;)

**Summary:** The more Devon learns about Chuck, the more, well, awesome he seems. Devon/Ellie, Chuck/Sarah.

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the nice welcome to Chuck fanfic! This is actually the second story I've written in this fandom -- the first was an M-rated Chuck/Sarah ficlet for the LiveJournal PB VII, which I think is a little too graphic to post here on this site (I'd rather be cautious). If you are interested in it, follow my profile links to my LiveJournal page and click 'chuck' under 'TAGS' in the left sidebar to see a link to it.

~o~o~o~o~o~

As Devon pulled into the Buy More parking lot, he put his cell phone away. He'd left at least three voicemails for Chuck, and one for Sarah just for good measure. He didn't have John Casey's number, but after the way John had pulled out that gun and silencer, face cold as stone... Devon would never ask.

In the past, if Chuck was working -- at least at the Buy More -- he would pick up. Devon had no idea if Chuck would answer in the middle of a mission. But he really needed Chuck's help with his laptop and this was the only place he knew to go. Chuck had told him the Buy More was 'real' -- Devon wasn't completely sure whether Chuck actually fixed computers or not. He guessed he was about to find out.

Devon walked toward the Nerd Herd service desk with his laptop under his arm. But there was no one sitting behind the counter. Reaching the desk and setting his laptop down on the counter, he scanned the store for a glimpse of a white shirt, for Chuck's curly mop of hair... No sign of anything but customers. Where the heck were all the green shirts? "Not cool," he murmured, before picking his laptop up again. It was time to hunt someone down.

He saw more than a few disgruntled customers -- some waiting in line at the returns counter and some hoping a clerk would show up at the checkout registers. Unlike these people, Devon knew how to get into the employee break room, and it wasn't like anyone was around to stop him. As soon as he opened the swinging doors to the back he could hear the sound of chanting. It sounded almost primitive, as if he were about to step into another world.

The door to the break room had a large window, but the other side of the glass was blocked by green shirts pressed against it, writhing and undulating. He couldn't see _what_ was going on in there. Did he dare enter? Devon set his face and plucked up his courage. He was, after all, awesome. He pulled open the door, and a few Buy More employees tumbled into the doorway before turning back to the center of attention. Devon peered over the shoulders of the closest green shirt.

What he saw was _not_ what he expected. Big Mike sat in a chair in the center of the room. Jeff and Lester stood on either side of Big Mike, arms folded. On the floor in front of them was a man on his hands and knees, groveling like a penitent before a king. Emmett. None of them seemed to notice Devon in the doorway.

"Emmett, do you agree to abide by all of my decrees, no matter how degrading?" Big Mike intoned.

"No matter how degrading," the crowd of employees chanted around the circle.

There was no answer from the groveling manager. Big Mike shot a look at Jeff, who nodded and then delivered a swift kick to Emmett's backside.

Emmett face-planted on the cold tile. "Yes, yes! I agree..." he moaned as he picked himself back up.

"Hey!" Devon called over the din. "What's going on here!?"

The chanting went on unabated, but Lester finally noticed his presence. "Oh, hey, Awesome." He gave Devon a cheery wave and then immediately became serious again, intent on this... ritual, or whatever this was.

Devon backed away slowly and closed the break room door behind him. It didn't look like anyone was getting hurt, and besides, Chuck wasn't there, or John for that matter. None of the green shirts could help him even if they weren't 'busy'... and there was no way he would let Jeff or Lester near his computer. He would stay out of it this time.

He couldn't get out into the open air of the parking lot fast enough. "Whew. I'm so glad I never worked retail."

~o~o~o~

If the Buy More was _real_ -- weird, but real -- then maybe the Subway was, too. The new franchise occupied the same space as the previous two establishments: that hot dog place, and the yogurt place. Somehow Sarah worked here, too.

As soon as he walked through the doors, Devon could see it was different. Every time he and Ellie had come in to visit, the place was totally empty (which was probably why both places had folded after only a year), but not the new Subway. There was a healthy line at the counter, and most of the in-store tables were filled. Was it because the place was a recognizable name? Or because of that footlong promotion they were advertising on the windows?

A turkey on wheat suddenly sounded _awesome_...

But he couldn't satisfy his hunger right now. He needed to find Sarah. Maybe she would know where Chuck was. She wasn't behind the counter, and he didn't see her through the door to the back, either. He walked up to the cashier, a young man who looked like he'd rather be skateboarding than working. "Hey, excuse me, dude. Is Sarah Walker here?"

He looked up into Devon's face and seemed to work at focusing on him. "I dunno... haven't seen her."

"Do you mind looking in the back?"

Before he could reply, a manager type interrupted with a cool, "May I help you?"

Devon turned his attention on the new person. He seemed a bit out of place compared to the kid. His polo looked almost like it had been pressed that morning, and his crew cut was plain below his visor... almost military. Still, Devon didn't let that throw him. "Yeah, I'm looking for Sarah Walker. Is she here?"

The manager's eyes narrowed. "This is her day off. Why do you want to see her?"

Devon frowned. "I just wanted to talk to her about..."

He trailed off as the manager put a finger up to his ear, and then nodded, his expression relaxing. "I'm sorry, sir, she will be here tomorrow if you would like to come back then."

"Uh... sure. Thanks."

He walked out slowly. It had seemed like the manager was using some sort of communications device just then. Realization dawned. Of course he was! This place was probably a CIA front! It made sense that if the Buy More was 'real,' then Chuck would need a place to meet Sarah with easy access to his cover job. Devon wondered if Chuck and Sarah, and maybe even Casey, were meeting right now, in some secret back room.

He laughed at that silly thought. They were probably off doing spy stuff right now. And a secret room? That place looked too small to be any sort of base of operations, anyway.

Devon walked back to his car, disappointed that he hadn't found Chuck, but pleased that he'd put together another piece of the puzzle that was Chuck Bartowski, super spy. He switched the laptop to his other arm and fished his car keys out to unlock the driver's side door.

"Devon!" called a voice from behind him. He turned to see Chuck walking toward him. "I heard you were looking for me and Sarah?"

Devon was relieved to finally find Chuck. "Hey, little bro. Just you, actually. You didn't get my messages?"

Chuck looked embarrassed, fumbling out his iPhone to check the display. "I guess not. Sorry. Been sorta busy."

"With..." Devon looked around the lot. Were there hidden cameras recording this conversation? He didn't want to get Chuck in trouble. "...your other job?"

"Yeah. A meeting."

"Hey. I'm sorry I took you away from that. It can wait. I thought you were, you know, doing the Nerd Herd thing today." Devon started to get into his car. "I'll see you later."

"No, wait." Chuck stopped the door with his hand. "Meeting's over now. You need help with that?" He pointed at the laptop under Devon's arm.

"Yeah, I think it's got some kind of virus." He cocked his head, and lowered his voice. "So, do you really fix computers, then?"

Chuck laughed. "Yeah, I really do. When _they_ don't need me, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, man, I'm so glad. I wanted to take care of it today -- Ellie was going to Skype your dad tonight." Their weekly webcam chats were the highlight of Ellie's week. "She was looking forward to it so much..."

Chuck's expression went from interested, if guarded, to wistful. Ellie would get the same look any time the subject of their dad came up. Devon was glad that the old man was keeping in contact with them again. Papa Bartowski was off working on one of his projects in D.C. or something, but he made sure to call or Skype his daughter at least once a week. Devon assumed he was doing the same for Chuck.

"We can't disappoint her, then." Chuck held out his hands for the computer. "Let me take a look at it."

"Thanks, dude, you're the best."

Chuck walked around to the other side of the car and got in the passenger side. "When did you first notice the problem?"

"This morning. I tried to get into my email first thing after Ellie went in to the hospital. But it wouldn't connect. And then I tried getting on to some websites but it brought up some weird message -- something in another language -- every place I tried..."

"Did you take a screenshot of it?"

"A... what?" Devon shrugged helplessly. He was a doctor, not a technician.

"Never mind. I'll just see if I can duplicate what caused the error." Chuck opened the lid of the laptop and started it up.

"Don't we need to go someplace with wifi?" Devon looked out into the parking lot. "Is there a signal from the store?" He tried not to glance at the Subway. "Or from somewhere else...?"

"No, but I got it covered." Chuck pulled a device out of his pocket and plugged it into the side of the computer. "This thing connects to the Agency's satellite system."

"Whoa..." He couldn't stop an impressed grin from coming over his face. Then he got a worried look. "This isn't for Agency business, though. Won't you get in trouble?"

Chuck laughed again, this time humorlessly. "Probably. But that's nothing new..." He logged Devon's laptop into the network and got down to business.

Devon walked him through the steps he'd followed that morning, all the time watching Chuck work. His fingers flew across the keys, his face set in serious concentration. Had Chuck always been like this? Or had Devon completely missed this side of him because he assumed Chuck was just another 20-something slacker?

Chuck opened the browser on Devon's machine and just like this morning, the page came up with the odd message. "That's the one," he said, looking back at Chuck.

But Chuck's eyes were rolling back into his head, and he seemed to zone out, spasming in his seat.

"Chuck!" Oh, no! Chuck was having a seizure! Devon's doctor instincts kicked in. Remaining calm, he noted Chuck's reactions, and loosened Chuck's thin black tie, making sure that he didn't move his brother-in-law unnecessarily.

But before he could do any more, Chuck blinked several times and came to. "The Ring..." he rasped.

"Chuck, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, Devon... I'm o-okay. I need to-to make a call..."

"You just had a seizure, bro! You need to lie down!" He placed a hand on Chuck's forearm.

Chuck gently shook him off. "No, I'm fine, I promise. Excuse me." He tapped the touch screen of his iPhone a couple of times. Sarah's name and picture came up on the display. "Sarah? I just flashed..." Chuck started and looked at Devon worriedly, then turned away, lowering his voice.

Devon could only catch a few words after that, mostly, "Devon... virus... Ring... targeted or widespread..."

Finally, Chuck disconnected the call and turned back to Devon. "I'm gonna have to take this to the Cas-- I mean, to headquarters. I _promise_ Ellie will get Dad's call, okay?"

"Sure, I believe you. He's gonna call at 8pm, is that enough time?"

"I think so. I'll have _something_ for you to use by then."

"Thanks, dude. Hey..." Devon gestured toward the screen and its strange message. He never would have guessed his little virus would be important to the CIA. "Is everything okay with, you know, _them_?"

"Better than okay." Chuck closed the lid and opened the side door to get out. "Honestly, Devon, by bringing this to me, you've probably saved us an incredible amount of time and research." He patted Devon on the shoulder and then hurried off toward the Subway, laptop under his arm.

Devon watched him walk away, that goofy smile plastered on again. "Awesome."


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** _Five Times Awesome Saw Chuck's Awesomeness_, 3/5  
**Author:** **htbthomas**  
**Fandom:** _Chuck_  
**Characters:** Devon (Captain Awesome)/Ellie, Chuck, Casey, Sarah  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 2,055 words  
**Spoilers:** Set after 2.22 "Chuck vs. The Ring"  
**Betas:** **ndnickerson**, **without_wings**  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this. Josh Schwartz does. And apparently Subway now, too. ;)

**Summary:** The more Devon learns about Chuck, the more, well, awesome he seems. Devon/Ellie, Chuck/Sarah.

**Author's Note:** How many of you guys are doing "Chuck Me Mondays"? Tonight was SO MUCH FUN! Way to trend on Twitter at #4!

~o~o~o~o~o~

"To three fantastic months." Devon lifted his wine glass toward his wife. "And one awesome babe."

Ellie smiled her wide, sexy smile and clinked her glass against his. "To us."

Devon took a long, slow drink, keeping eye contact with Ellie. Her gaze never wavered. He loved the way she matched him in every way. "Isn't this so much better than..."

Ellie raised an eyebrow. "Than what?"

"... than hospital food?" He took a breadstick out of the basket to dip into the seasoned olive oil. He was really glad that he had been able to convince Ellie to come out with him tonight. She had worked a split shift today -- even though it was their three-month anniversary. Ellie didn't even think of trying to take the day off; she was that dedicated to her work. She would have brushed off this anniversary as trivial, but Devon could tell she was secretly pleased that he was making a bigger deal of it.

Ellie laughed. "You're right about that."

"But any meal is special as long as you're there." He reached over to give her hand a squeeze. He knew he probably sounded cheesy and overly romantic... but he meant every word. And Ellie's answering smile made it totally worth it.

Ellie looked around for their waiter to bring the main course, shoulders drooping when she didn't seem him. "I hope the _Farfalle Alfresco_ is good tonight." She speared a bit of lettuce on her fork and popped it into her mouth.

Devon scanned the diners around them, noting that everyone seemed to be enjoying their food. "I don't see anyone complaining."

At the end of Devon's casual perusal of the restaurant, his eye caught on a tuxedoed man, followed by a woman in an expensive-looking dress with upswept hair, walking toward a table near the back. The man pulled out the woman's chair with a debonair smile. To Devon's surprise, he immediately recognized Chuck. He didn't recognize the woman.

Why wasn't Chuck with Sarah?

Was this some sort of spy mission?

His confusion must have shown on his face. "Honey? What's wrong?" Ellie began to turn in the direction Devon had been gazing.

Devon couldn't let her see Chuck with another girl! Chuck had asked him to _handle_ Ellie -- he couldn't let him down! "Oh, no, it's nothing..." he said, speaking a little too quickly. "I--I just thought I saw the waiter bringing our food, but he went to another table."

Ellie frowned slightly, but seemed to accept his explanation. "I hope it comes soon. I'm _starving_."

Whew, he'd dodged that one. _I can't let her notice Chuck before it's time to leave. As long as she keeps her back to her brother and her attention on her food..._

After the food came, Devon started to sneak glances over at Chuck's table whenever Ellie was looking down. Chuck's whole demeanor was different as he spoke to the woman, leaning in to touch her knee, or to gently move a strand of hair out of her face. He had never seen Chuck so... suave. He seemed more James Bond, lover of ladies, than Chuck Bartowski, lover of _Tron_.

Ellie's phone rang suddenly and she groaned when she looked at the display. From the look on her face, he didn't even need to ask who was on the other end. Her gaze was apologetic when she hung up and met his eyes. "Mr. Walters is having complications. They need me to start my second shift a little early..." She gave Devon's arm a regretful squeeze. "I'm sorry, I have to cut this short."

"Babe, I understand. Next time, it'll probably be me." Devon stood, purposely putting his body between Ellie and her brother. "I'll get these put in boxes for you."

She kissed him on the cheek as thanks and hurried for the entrance. Thankfully, she was in too much of a rush to look back. Devon sank back into his chair, relieved. It was _hard_ to keep this secret! _But I have to follow through on my promise to Chuck._

He glanced over at Chuck's table again and saw Chuck staring directly at him now, a worried frown on his face. The woman had her focus away from her date and was speaking into her cell phone. "Devon?" he mouthed, looking like he was about to freak out.

Devon shrugged in apology. "Sorry, bro," he mouthed back.

Chuck started to respond, but the woman turned back to him then and he snapped back into the sophisticated gentleman's persona. He lifted the wine from its chiller and offered her another glass with a smile.

As Devon watched, she waved away the bottle and gestured behind her to another man coming up from behind. Chuck looked up at the man approaching and seemed to glaze over for a few seconds -- exactly the way he had in the car that time in the Buy More parking lot. What had he called it? A _"flash"_?

The woman and her new companion looked at each other with surprise and recognition. They tensed, and the woman reached into her handbag. Chuck shook his head slightly to clear it, just like Devon remembered... to find a slim silver handgun pointed at him from across the table. "Hello..." Devon could almost hear Chuck say.

Devon nearly sprang upright from his seat. He had to save Chuck! But no, he couldn't just rush over there and tackle them, not in a crowded restaurant. And surely they wouldn't kill him right here in front of all these people. He watched Chuck slowly rise from his seat and walk ahead of them, toward the kitchens.

Never taking his eyes from the trio, Devon stood casually. He gathered up his boxes of take-out, and tossed a couple of twenties on the table. Instead of heading for the entrance, he followed Chuck and his adversaries.

They pushed into the swinging doors, earning a couple of strange looks from the wait staff, but no one stopped them, as busy as it was. Devon, only ten steps behind, reached out to push open the doors himself...

And he found himself nearly yanked off his feet into a side corridor. "What the he--?" was all he managed to say before a large hand clamped over his mouth.

"What do you think you're doing, Devon?" a low voice rasped in his ear.

Devon jerked his head to the side. His captor was Colonel John Casey, dressed in a waiter's uniform. He held Devon flush against the wall, out of sight of the main dining area.

"They've got Chuck!" he tried to say urgently, but it came out as "Mm mm MMM!" under the NSA agent's hand.

Casey seemed to understand what he was saying, though. "No duh, Doctor Dum-Dum. We've got it handled." He let go of Devon and forcibly shoved him toward the dining room. "Now go home."

He wouldn't be pushed away, not like this. Not when it was Chuck in danger. "That woman had a gun, John."

Casey produced his own weapon. "What do you _think_ we play with? Billy clubs?" He pointed the gun straight at Devon and then aimed it below Devon's waist. "Surgeons only need use of their hands, right?"

"Whoa!" Devon put his hands up, take-out bags dangling, and started to back away. Why was Casey's every response to pull a gun? "No need for that, dude. I can take a hint."

Casey cocked his head to the side and grunted in disbelief. "Can you?"

"I'm not a moron, John."

Casey's raised eyebrow displayed his lack of faith.

"Turning around now..." Devon began to walk back through the restaurant, toward the doors. Behind him he heard the brief sound of the doors swinging open... but when he glanced back, it was only a waitress coming through with a tray of food. John Casey had disappeared.

Devon went outside into the pleasant August evening air. With a growing knot in his stomach, he walked toward his car, parked a couple blocks down. Would he ever see Chuck again? What would they tell Ellie? Some story about a mugging or a hit and run?

As Devon passed by the alley which ran behind the restaurant, he heard the sound of voices. One of them belonged to Chuck. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. I own a software development company, just as I told you."

Chuck's own company? What was that, another cover story? Devon pressed himself against the bricks out of sight, and crept behind the dumpster nearby. He couldn't just leave, not when there was a chance he could help. He just prayed the plastic bags of his take-out wouldn't crinkle too loudly and give him away...

A male voice answered Chuck, one Devon didn't recognize. "Don't play with us, Mr. Carmichael. I saw how you reacted in there."

Carmichael? This must be his alias in the spy world. It certainly fit Chuck's look tonight.

The woman added, "We thought the Intersect died with Bryce Larkin, but it appears that we were wrong."

Inter_what_? And what did Bryce Larkin have to do with this? Devon's head was filled with more questions than answers tonight.

"Inter... what?" Chuck stammered. This was the Chuck Devon was used to -- fumbling and unsure. Which personality was real?

"Your games are quickly growing old. Come with us." Devon heard footsteps approaching and he tried to make himself as small as possible, all without moving the bags. Chuck passed the dumpster where Devon hid, and the butts of the guns trained on him became visible.

There was suddenly a female shout from the back of the alley. "Freeze!"

That was Sarah's voice! Chuck swiveled to face her, features relaxing in relief. His captors turned as well, but one of them kept a gun on Chuck.

"Put down your weapons, now! My partner has his sights trained on you as we speak."

The woman laughed. "And my partner has his gun trained on your precious Intersect. I wonder who's faster on the draw?"

At that moment, Chuck noticed Devon in his hiding place. His eyebrows shot up, but he gave no other indication to the others that Devon was there. Devon gave him an apologetic smile but then nodded toward the gun with determination. If he leapt out of his hiding place, perhaps he could use the element of surprise to wrestle the gun away.

Several things seemed to happen at once. A shot rang out, taking the male hostile through the shoulder. Chuck grabbed his wrist and flipped him onto the pavement. The hostile's gun went skittering off out of reach. The female hostile tried to fire on Sarah. Sarah returned gunfire, the CIA agent's bullets pinging against the metal of the dumpster.

Chuck then lunged for Devon... snatched the take-out bags from Devon's hands... and twirled them over his head like a sling. The food smacked into the female hostile's head with a wet splat, and she fell to the ground, _farfalle_ oozing down her face.

She looked up to see Sarah's booted heel on her chest and the barrel of a gun pointed at her head. "Don't move," Sarah told her coldly.

Casey came out from cover and moved to handcuff her partner. "Where'd the food come from...?"

Chuck's lips quirked and he nodded toward Devon, who was standing in view now with his arms folded proudly. "Mr..._ Carmichael_... needed an assist."

Casey huffed and rolled his eyes dramatically. "Way to take a hint." He yanked the man's cuffs closed and muttered under his breath.

Devon couldn't be sure, but it sounded like, _"Moron-in-law."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** _Five Times Awesome Saw Chuck's Awesomeness_, 4/5  
**Author:** **htbthomas**  
**Fandom:** _Chuck_  
**Characters:** Devon (Captain Awesome), Chuck/Sarah, Casey  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** _Pt. 4:_ 2,425 words  
**Spoilers:** Set after 2.22 "Chuck vs. The Ring"  
**Betas:** **ndnickerson**, **saavikam77**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this. Josh Schwartz does. And apparently Subway now, too. ;)

**Summary:** The more Devon learns about Chuck, the more, well, awesome he seems. Devon/Ellie, Chuck/Sarah.

**Author's Note:** In case you missed it, I posted a Charah M-rated one-shot last week called "Close Enough." That, and several other ficlets, distracted me from updating. :)

~o~o~o~o~o~

There was nothing like a brisk jog. It got your heart pumping, built up stamina, got you out into the fresh air... well, as fresh as you could get in Burbank. And it gave him something to do when his and Ellie's schedules didn't coincide.

The best time was in the middle of the afternoon, when there weren't many cars on the street and most people were still at work. With his iPod set on 70s and 80s music -- damn but that "Mr. Roboto" song was catchy -- he focused on keeping a steady pace and breathing rhythm. It was a way to de-stress and clear his head of all the cases he had dealt with during the week. One had to stay sharp if one wanted to stay awesome.

But even _he_ could hear the screeching of tires over his tunes. Devon stopped and turned to see a black sedan burning rubber down the street in the other direction. Even though the car was a little way down the street, he recognized it immediately -- Casey's Crown Vic.

There could be only one reason why Casey was driving like that -- it must be spy business. The sedan skidded to a halt in front of their building. Casey raced out of the car, pelting into the courtyard.

Devon paused for a moment -- what should he do? If he got involved again with a spy mission, Casey might do more than threaten him.

His cautious side told him he should go about his business... but his patriotic side told him he should wait and see if there was anything he could do to help. After all, if his bro-in-law had the courage to serve his country, surely Devon could do _something_.

So he backed up against the wall between two tall bushes, out of sight. A few minutes later, both Sarah and Chuck came running out to the car, Sarah pulling her hair into a quick ponytail, Chuck still tucking his shirt into his pants. Casey's face was more thunderous than usual.

_We-he-hell... a little afternoon delight, eh?_ He smiled, remembering what he and Ellie had been like their first few years.

But before the three spies could do more than put a hand on the car door handles, a blue sports car came speeding around the corner toward them. The driver rolled down his window just as he passed Devon, and pulled out a gun with a silencer to aim at the three spies.

Devon took action. Without leaving his hiding place, he yelled, "Guys, watch out!"

Sarah was the first to react, yanking open the passenger side car door for cover and dropping to a crouch. She started to fire, her bullets pinging off the other car. Casey was next, dropping behind the driver's side door.

Chuck, however, stood frozen, blinking in place for a moment. Sarah tugged him down just as the assailant's bullet took a gouge out of Casey's paint job. Man, Casey was going to be pissed -- Devon had seen the way he liked to buff and wax that baby.

Devon's heart started to race. This was _his_ neighborhood -- why had Casey led them here? _Even _I_ know that's a big no-no in the spy game._

The car kept coming toward them, smashing the driver's side door off. Casey dove out of the way just in time. Then the enemy car fishtailed around for another pass. Chuck and Sarah scrambled around to the other side of the car. Devon knew they couldn't just jump into the car and drive off -- with one of the doors gone, driving was less safe than using the car as a barricade.

Or so he thought.

The car came at them with screaming tires, accelerating directly toward the Crown Vic. Toward Casey.

Devon couldn't help but let out a cry of fear. There was absolutely nothing he could do to prevent what was about to happen. His hands clenched around the branches of the bush in front of him.

But Chuck? Chuck was a totally different story.

Chuck slid across the top of the Crown Vic with almost gymnastic skill, threw his arms around Casey, and powered him out of the way of the speeding car. The front grille of the sports car smashed directly into the black sedan, spinning it halfway around. Casey recovered quickly, disengaging himself from Chuck. He trained his gun on the driver, and Chuck had drawn own weapon as well. But the man inside the vehicle had _two_ guns, one pointed at each of his adversaries.

Chuck looked so natural holding the gun. And this was no game controller either. It was a real live weapon that he looked like he knew how to use. The three were in a standoff.

So where was Sarah?

Devon searched through the bushes, and saw a pair of booted feet sticking out from the other side of the Crown Vic. "Sarah..." he breathed.

Keeping low, Devon left cover and hurried toward her. He was at her side in a few moments. She lay on the pavement, a scary-looking gash on the side of her head. Devon placed his fingers on the side of her neck to check for a pulse... she was still alive, thank goodness, but her heartbeat was faint. And she was clearly unconscious.

Devon pulled out his cell phone, and switched it to vibrate before dialing 911. For now, he was out of sight of the men with guns, and he couldn't risk being heard. Emergency services picked up, and a female voice asked him, _"911 emergency, what is your location?"_

His voice barely above a whisper, he gave his address, adding, "My name is Dr. Devon Woodcomb, I'm a surgeon at Westside Hospital. I just witnessed a car accident. A woman is unconscious and bleeding. I'm going to try to stabilize her, but please hurry."

Devon tore a strip of cloth from the bottom of his workout shirt. He dabbed gently at the gash on her forehead, trying to determine how badly she'd been injured. The wound didn't look very deep, but there was no telling how hard she'd hit her head.

Behind him were the sounds of a scuffle: a grunt, a gunshot, a moan of pain... and then Casey's gruff voice. "Down on the ground." Then there was another thump.

He had no idea what had happened, but Devon took a chance and popped his head over the side of the ruined car. Chuck was standing, rubbing his hand across the back of his head. Casey was tying the man's hands behind his back with a cable tie. "Chuck!" Devon called urgently, "Sarah's been hurt!"

Chuck turned toward him, his face a mask of horror. "What?" In a flash he was crouching on the other side of Sarah, tucking his gun out of sight. "Oh, my God..." He reached toward her.

"Don't move her!" Devon warned him urgently. Chuck might be the super-spy, but Devon was the doctor.

Chuck nodded, biting his lip.

Casey appeared around the other side of the car, dragging the guy who had attacked them, his head lolling unconscious. With what the man had done to Casey's car, this was getting off easy. As soon as he noticed Devon, he said angrily, "I thought I told you--" A moment later he noticed Sarah's condition and frowned. "Is she gonna be okay, Doc?"

Devon's bedside manner kicked in. "The wound looks worse than it actually is, but she's unconscious and she probably has a concussion. I just called 911."

"You called--?" Casey asked incredulously. "Idiot! The police will have--"

"Casey." Chuck's tone was serious. "His car still works right?" He pointed at the unconscious assailant. "You have to take him in for processing... use _his_ car."

Casey grunted in acceptance.

"I mean, it's not like you're going to be able to use yours..." Chuck winced.

Casey's grunt this time was more like a growl.

Devon added, "We'll just say it was a hit and run when paramedics get here."

"Fine." Casey reluctantly assented. "I'll take care of this, and then meet the two of you at the hospital." He started to drag the other man away a couple of steps, but then turned and warned Devon, "You take care of Agent Walker, okay?"

"You can count on it, sir." Devon would have saluted, but he was using his right hand to keep pressure on Sarah's wound.

Casey was already in the sports car and gone before they heard the sound of the ambulance in the distance.

~o~o~o~

Devon looked into the window of Sarah's hospital room. She looked much better cleaned up, and the tests indicated there wouldn't be any permanent damage. When she woke up, she should be fine to go home after a few hours of observation.

Honestly, Chuck looked a lot worse. The skilled agent from the accident scene was completely gone, his face a pale mask. He held Sarah's limp hand in his own, stroking the fingers gently.

Ellie had been frantic with worry when she found out what had happened to Sarah, and Devon had just been able to calm her down. She was probably going to go on an extended rant later about careless, irresponsible drivers, but he knew it would help her blow off steam. It was actually one of the things he loved about her.

Devon turned the door handle slowly, sticking his head into the small room. "Chuck? How is she doing?"

Chuck smiled wanly. "About the same as before."

"Casey been by already?" Devon came into the room and quietly closed the door.

"Been and left. I managed to convince him and the General that they could trust me to stay with Sarah..."

Devon pulled up a chair and sat beside him. "Trust you?"

Chuck looked startled for a moment, and then his shoulders slumped "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting what you know and what you don't..." Sighing, he added, "Let's just say, I'm still getting used to being a full agent."

"Were you just like a... junior agent before? 'Cause when you're in action, you're amazing, bro."

"Thanks," Chuck said, sounding like he didn't really mean it. "Before I was an asset, not an agent."

"That's right, you said that..." Devon had been too much in shock the night he found out the truth to really process what Chuck had said. And he'd never really had a chance to ask Chuck more about it... until now. "So an asset is like, someone an agent protects, right? Like Sarah and John with you? Why was the CIA interested in you?"

"I..."

Devon hit himself upside the head. "Wait, I'm sorry, you said that before, too. Classified, I got it."

Chuck shrugged apologetically. "I wish I could tell you, really. It would be nice to talk to someone _not_ in the spy business about it." Chuck gave him a sidelong glance. "Unless you're some sort of secret agent yourself..."

"What, me?" Devon laughed. "I'm just a surgeon. Why would you think that?"

Chuck laughed too, though it seemed humorless. "You'd be surprised."

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes. Chuck simply stared at Sarah's face, continuing to stroke her fingers gently. Chuck really looked like he needed _someone_ to talk to, to help get his mind off of his worry for Sarah. Maybe he couldn't really ask about Chuck's spy life, but he could ask something personal instead.

"So... you and Sarah. You really care about her, don't you?"

Chuck's thumb stopped its stroking. "Yes," he answered simply.

"It's more than partners, more than a cover, isn't it?"

Chuck nodded, closing his eyes.

"I'm glad. With a life like yours, it must be awesome to have someone to lean on."

Chuck whispered something then, rubbing his free hand over his eyes.

"What?"

Chuck spoke a little louder this time, just barely loud enough to hear. "I wish we really did _have_ each other, Devon. As real as these feelings are... we can't do anything about them."

Devon started to respond, and then closed his mouth. Better to be a good ear -- it sounded like Chuck needed someone who would just listen. He placed a comforting, yet manly, hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder.

Chuck opened his eyes again, but didn't acknowledge Devon's gesture. "It's like we're in a holding pattern. All I want to do is love her for the rest of my life, and that's impossible right now. We can't get engaged, we can't get married... we can't even _be_ together...."

They couldn't _be_ together? What did that mean? But he saved his questions and let Chuck talk.

"We're at the mercy of the United States government. They could decide tomorrow that Sarah has to go back to Langley, that I get reassigned to a new partner..." He trailed off and then swallowed. "We may live together, but all we do is share a job and share an apartment. Let Sarah or me slip for _one moment_, and they'll know. They're always watching..."

_Watching?_ He looked around the hospital room suspiciously. But this room was probably clean, especially if Chuck was talking so freely.

He couldn't stay silent anymore. "So... let me get this straight. You guys love each other..."

Chuck nodded.

"...but you haven't, you know..."

"Nope. We've come close, but no cigar." Chuck coughed uncomfortably and blushed at what he'd unintentionally said. "I mean, you know what I mean."

"I think I understand, bro." Devon patted his shoulder. "That is so... _not_ awesome."

"Tell me about it."

Suddenly, Sarah stirred in the bed, moaning a little as she awakened. "Chuck...?" she asked in a scratchy voice.

"I'm right here, Sarah," he said tenderly, squeezing her hand.

Devon excused himself to get Sarah's attending physician... and to let them have some time alone before the doctor came. He only wished he could do more for them...

Devon stopped, right in the middle of the hall, an idea coming to him. Maybe there _was_ something he could do after all...


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** _Five Times Awesome Saw Chuck's Awesomeness_, 5/5  
**Author:** **htbthomas**  
**Fandom:** _Chuck_  
**Characters:** Devon (Captain Awesome), Chuck/Sarah, Casey  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** _Pt. 5:_ 2,250 words  
**Spoilers:** Set after 2.22 "Chuck vs. The Ring"  
**Betas:** **ndnickerson**, **saavikam77**, without_wings  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this. Josh Schwartz does. And apparently Subway now, too. ;)

**Summary:** The more Devon learns about Chuck, the more, well, awesome he seems. Devon/Ellie, Chuck/Sarah.

~o~o~o~o~o~

"So, whaddya think, John? You in? A day of rock-climbing, followed by a few beers, some darts, pool..." Devon attempted to seal the deal by putting a friendly arm around Casey's shoulder. "It'll be a chance for us guys to catch up, to _bond_." He squeezed extra hard to punctuate his point.

Devon could feel Casey twitch under his arm. Casey glanced at Ellie, who was cooking pasta sauce over the stove, before responding in his faux-cheerful voice, "As... _great_... as that sounds... I think I have to work that day."

Chuck got into the act next. "Aw, are you sure, buddy?" He lightly punched Casey's upper arm with his fist. "You look like you could use some guy time."

The touch earned Chuck a quickly-hidden glare of annoyance before Casey answered, "Naw, you fellas just have fun. Maybe I'll join you," a gruff tone mixed in for a moment, "_next_ time." He shrugged out from under Devon's arm like he was escaping. "I gotta go... water my azaleas." He smiled brightly and practically fled the apartment.

Devon and Chuck waited long enough for Casey to make it back to his own apartment before speaking again. "Too bad Casey isn't coming," Chuck opined for the benefit of the surveillance devices. "I'm going to miss him." While he talked, he casually scribbled on a piece of notepaper:_ 'Think it worked?'_

"Me too. I'd really like to get to know him better. You guys seem so close." Devon added his note: _'He couldn't get out of here fast enough.'_

"Oh, we _are_. We're tight like _this_." Chuck crossed his fingers and held them up, presumably toward one of the hidden cameras. Then he wrote back, _'Phase One complete.'_

Ellie turned from the stove, and Chuck slid the paper out of her view. She smiled at her two boys. "Well, at least you guys are going to have fun while Sarah and I have our girls' day out. Wouldn't want you to be bored..."

"It's a day with Awesome!" Chuck and Devon bumped fists. "How could anyone be bored?"

~o~o~o~

They kept the talk light on the way out to the rock-climbing place. Chuck wasn't sure whether Devon's car was bugged, but he had said he didn't want to take any chances.

It wasn't until they got to the parking lot and got out into the fresh air that they felt safe. Silently, Devon held out his palm. Chuck solemnly removed the watch from his wrist and his iPhone from his pocket. Devon carefully placed them in his own pocket. If Casey was keeping tabs on Chuck's location, he would think Chuck and Devon were still together.

That done, Devon handed Chuck a small manila envelope. "Phase Two, dude. Enjoy."

Chuck's forehead creased in confusion after he opened it. "What's this?" he asked, pulling out a key card.

"It's this new-fangled thing they give out for hotel rooms these days," Devon joked. "Or are you too used to retinal scanners and voice activation to remember?"

"A hotel room? I thought you were just helping me and Sarah with a getaway car, so we could get some alone time..."

Devon's eyebrows rose, and he looked pointedly at the key card. "Bro, that's what I'm _doing._"

"Oh... _oh!_" The beginnings of a happy grin started on Chuck's face. "Does Sarah know where to go?"

"Ellie's taking her there as we speak. She thinks that you're surprising Sarah with a romantic night away." Devon nodded to a rental car parked on the other side of the lot. "The car key's in that envelope, too."

Chuck looked nervous. "I hope Sarah will go for this..."

"Hey." Devon put a hand on Chuck's shoulder. "I just got you the room. What you do with it is up to you." He couldn't help but add a wink.

Chuck's nervousness turned into a slow grin. He gave Devon a mock-serious salute, turned on his heel and headed for the rental car.

"Wait!"

Chuck stopped mid-stride.

"Do me proud, bro." Devon saluted Chuck this time, but there was nothing mock-serious about it.

Chuck's eyes sparkled with gratitude. He nodded and continued toward the car.

Devon watched him drive away, until the car wasn't visible anymore. Then he took a deep, bracing breath and headed into the center. Rock-climbing was awesome whether you did it with a friend or alone.

Thirty minutes or so later, just as his muscles just started to give him a pleasant burn, he heard a shout from beneath him. "Honey? Devon? I'm here!"

He grabbed one of the fake rocks and let the safety rope swing him slightly out so that he could look below. "Ellie!" He pushed off the wall and zipped downward to land a few yards away from his wife. He detached the safety line and walked over to give her a kiss. "You got here fast."

"My brother must have broken every speed law on the way over. You should have seen how out of breath he was when he arrived." Ellie let out an impish giggle.

"And Sarah?"

"She was pretty surprised when we left the spa to go upstairs. It was so hard to keep quiet! But as soon as Chuck arrived, it was like I wasn't even there..."

Devon held up his hand for a high five. "Awesome."

"_Yeah_, it was." Ellie slapped his hand with vigor.

"So, when are you going to get suited up?"

Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. She hadn't expected him to continue the ruse once she was here, he guessed. But why waste a perfect afternoon of rock-climbing?

"C'mon. Just one climb..." he pleaded with his most-charismatic smile. "Then we can go get those beers."

~o~o~o~

"Three in the side pocket," Ellie called just before tapping the ball straight in. An appreciative hum came from the people watching. Ellie's skills had attracted a crowd about halfway through their second game.

"Nice shot, hon."

She flashed him a smile, and flipped her glossy brown hair over her shoulder as she leaned down to take the next shot. She had set up a perfect opportunity to drop the five in the corner pocket. At this rate, she was going to clear the whole table before he even got a turn.

Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He moved away from the table to answer it... and then realized it was _Chuck's_ phone. An angry-looking picture of Casey confronted him on the screen, startling Devon for a moment.

It had always been a possibility that Casey would call to check up on Chuck. Time to put their contingency plan into action. "Hey, John. How ya doing?"

"Devon?" He grunted in annoyance. "Put Bartowski on."

"Uh, Chuck's in the bathroom. Do you want me to take a message?" He was prepared to tell the Colonel that Chuck was violently ill in the bathroom, a little too much whiskey, and was in no shape to talk. But it turned out to be unnecessary.

"Mm. Just tell Bartowski that I'm coming to get him. Play date's over."

"Something going down?" he asked, trying to stall.

"Nothing you need to worry about. Hey, I need you to call your wife and give Walker a message. She's not answering her phone for some reason."

"Uh... sure?"

"Have her tell Walker that she's scheduled to close tonight. She'll know what that means. You got that?"

"Yeah, got it."

Casey hung up without so much as a goodbye.

Devon gestured to Ellie to keep playing without him and walked as quickly as he could (without seeming to hurry) over to the payphone on the other side of the bar. Time to abort the mission, but Devon couldn't risk using his own cell phone to call -- _what if the NSA had that tracked, too?_ He pulled the hotel's business card out of his pocket and dialed.

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and he jerked around in surprise. Ellie stood there, a cocky grin on her face, twirling her cue in a cube of blue chalk. "Already giving up?"

"No, babe, just gotta give Chuck a heads' up."

Ellie frowned, but didn't ask why.

_"Hilton Glendale. How may I direct your call?"_

"Room 221, please." He covered the receiver and explained to Ellie. "Sarah's got a work emergency."

"No, not tonight... that sucks!" She stamped the butt of the cue on the floor. "But why did they call _you?_"

He held up Chuck's iPhone in his other hand. "Actually, they called Chu--"

Before he could finish answering, Chuck picked up the line. _"Hello?"_ He sounded very distracted.

"Sarah has to 'close tonight.'" He lowered his voice and added their pre-arranged code, "And The Eagle is coming in for a landing."

Chuck sighed heavily. _"All right. On our way."_ He hung up.

Ellie regarded Devon with one raised eyebrow. "The 'Eagle'? And what are you doing with Chuck's phone anyway?"

Devon eyes started to twitch nervously. Somehow, they'd forgotten to figure the Ellie factor into this plan. His wife was just as smart and twice as curious as her brother. And he hated to lie to her, but he had promised Chuck, and he couldn't fail him now. _Think fast_. _Don't lose it like the night of the rehearsal dinner..._

"Um... yeah. He wanted me to keep it for him -- less distractions that way. Morgan likes to text him at all hours. I was only supposed to call in case of an emergency." He smiled nervously. "And 'The Eagle' is just Sarah's nickname for her boss. You know what a hard ass she can be."

The corner of Ellie's mouth turned up in a disbelieving smirk. "I don't think I've ever heard Sarah talk about her work... ever."

"Chuck told me, I guess." Devon put an arm around Ellie's shoulder as he talked, guiding her back toward the pool tables. "Sometimes he gets frustrated with the hours Sarah has to keep." There, that was true, at least -- the best kind of evasion.

"You and Chuck are really getting close, aren't you?"

He looked down into her sparkling eyes. "Yeah... I guess we are. Your bro's pretty awesome, Ellie."

"He is. But it's nice that someone else is finally noticing it." She squeezed him around the waist. "I mean, other than Sarah... or Morgan."

He was perfectly honest when he answered, "I'm sorry it took me this long to notice."

She reached up to lay a hand on his cheek. "Better late than never." She pulled him down to kiss him tenderly before giving his face an affectionate pat. "You ready for me to kick your ass in pool again?"

"Best three out of five?" he asked, grabbing his cue.

She leaned over the table again to line up her next shot, and winked. "Sure -- but you gotta actually win one first."

Ellie proceeded to wipe the table with him in the next game, but Devon managed to hold his own in the one after that. He was glad for the distraction of some friendly competition -- it kept his mind off his worry for Chuck. Would he get back to the bar in time?

When Ellie was focused on the ball, Devon kept checking the entrance for Chuck or Sarah. Every time the door opened, his stomach clenched. So far, no sign of either of them...

And then Casey walked in, dressed all in black, a cloud of doom seeming to follow him. He immediately picked out Devon at the pool table, and noted Ellie's presence with a tilt of his head. Devon nodded pleasantly to him, but didn't wave, just in case Casey wanted to stay incognito.

Casey lifted his eyebrows in a silent question, _Where's the moron?_

Devon gestured back, _Around here somewhere, dude._ At least he'd better be soon, or they were all in for it.

Casey's thunderous face darkened even further, and he stalked toward the bathroom. Devon yelped and took off after him, calling back toward Ellie, "Gotta run to the little boys' room!"

Once he was away from Ellie but in earshot of Casey, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Hey, John, I think I saw--"

Casey turned back toward him, hand on the bathroom door, but at that moment, Chuck opened the door himself. As soon as Chuck saw Casey there in front of him, he placed a hand on his stomach and groaned.

"Oh, man, I don't think those fried pickles agreed with me..."

Casey's face crinkled up in disgust. "Bartowski, are you fit for duty?"

"I think so." Chuck licked his lips a couple of times, like he was trying to get rid of a foul taste in his mouth. "Maybe a glass of water first..."

"Suck it up, Bartowski -- the General expected us twenty minutes ago. I assume Walker's here, too?"

Sarah, who was now standing beside the entrance as if she'd been here for hours instead of moments, nodded back. She slipped out the door to the parking lot.

Casey jerked his head that direction. "Let's go."

"See ya, Devon. Thanks for a fun time." Chuck gave him a pat on the back as he passed, but didn't say anything else. He couldn't with Casey around.

"Any time, dude." Devon watched the two of them thread their way through the crowd and exit.

Suddenly he realized that he still had Chuck's iPhone! He dug in his pocket for where he had placed it, but found nothing... except a tiny handwritten note: _"Mission accomplished."_

**End.**

~o~o~o~o~o~

**Author's Note:** I probably should have called the fic "Four Times Awesome Saw Chuck's Awesomeness... and One Time Awesome Proved His Own Awesomeness" -- but that would be too much Awesome for one title. Plus, way too long. :D

Thanks for all the lovely feedback. You're all _awesome._


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